Slide bearings lined with an aluminum-based sliding alloy have relatively good initial conformability and excellent fatigue resistance under high specific load. Therefore, they are used as bearings for high output engines of automobiles and general industrial machinery.
An aluminum-based sliding alloy having a better fatigue resistance is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-3-6345. JP-A-3-6345 discloses that the aluminum-based sliding alloy contains 1 to 15 mass % of Si and also Sr (strontium) so as to have finely crystallized Si. JP-A-3-6345 also discloses that the finely crystallized Si particles make it possible that the aluminum-based sliding alloy withstands high load and can be prevented from becoming brittle, providing a good fatigue resistance.
JP-A-11-172465 also discloses an aluminum-based sliding alloy containing Si. JP-A-11-172465 discloses that wear resistance is improved by adding 26 to 80 mass % of Si to an Al (aluminum) matrix, allowing the Si particles to have an average particle size ranging from 0.01 μm or more and less than 10 μm, and further, allowing not less than 3 mass % of Si to solid-solute in the Al matrix.